Vice President Kashim Shettima conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to ending the reign of terror in the South East. Shettima made this announcement during the unveiling of the Peace in South East Project (PISE-P) by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Benjamin Kalu, in Bende Local Government Area (LGA) of Abia.
Expressing concern over the economic devastation caused by non-state actors in the South East since assuming office, Shettima condemned self-serving criminals exploiting the security situation for their dangerous political agenda in the region. He assured that President Tinubu was determined to deploy all available resources to eliminate falsehoods and propaganda undermining Nigeria’s unity.
In his speech titled “Why We are all Umunna,” Shettima emphasized Tinubu’s commitment to addressing economic devastation inflicted by non-state actors in the region. He pledged that the peace established in the South East under Tinubu’s administration would not be cosmetic, and all available resources would be utilized to ensure genuine peace.
Shettima highlighted that the criminal activities disrupting peace in the South East did not represent the interests of Ndi-Igbo or the entire country. He attributed the challenges to self-serving criminals working in connivance with forces exploiting the situation for a dangerous political agenda.
The Vice President stressed that the President had never held any group accountable for the actions of law-breaking individuals who identify as their members. He called for a coordinated intervention to tackle insecurity head-on and assured the South East that the Tinubu administration would not rest until it fulfilled its pledge to mitigate the inherited crisis.
Shettima commended Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu for initiating the Peace in South East Project, emphasizing the importance of understanding the experiences of a community by the people themselves. Kalu’s vision for the project is to foster peace, unity, and development in the region, addressing root causes of conflict and promoting reconciliation among affected communities and individuals.